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Friday, June 29, 2012

We couldn't be happier to report that the first and only full-time canine radio host in America is a Dachshund: Meet 'Hobbes!' This handsome red smooth rescue was found "bleeding from every orifice," as a result of being starved, neglected, and thrown against a wall by his previous "humans."
He was adopted by talk-radio host Bruce Zeman, and now the duo have a show called The Wake-Up Crew With Bruce and Hobbes on WVTK out of Middlebury, Vermont! Excerpt from Seven Days:

“He’s the reason this station is so successful,” says Zeman, who is also general manager of the 25,000-watt FM station in Middlebury. “I’d like to think I’ve had something to do with it, but I have no illusions.” Zeman and his wife, Tami, a nurse at Fletcher Allen Health Care, adopted Hobbes and nursed him back to health. Over the next few months, Zeman talked about his new dog during his morning show and occasionally brought him into the studio, where his yips and howls could be heard over the air. As more listeners learned of Hobbes’ story, Zeman says, people started urging him to “do something more” on the issue of animal cruelty. In March 2010, Hobbes formally debuted as a full-time WVTK morning radio host — and a star was born. Since then, Bruce and Hobbes’ show, which runs from 5:30 to 9 a.m., has hosted such guests as Rep. Peter Welch, Middlebury Police Chief Thomas Hanley and former governor Jim Douglas. Hobbes has been invited onto the floor of the Vermont House of Representative and was made an honorary K-9 member of the police forces in Middlebury and Vergennes. More recently, the duo was invited to appear on an upcoming episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” A children’s book, called Hobbes Goes Home, is due out this fall. But Zeman insists that Hobbes is much more than a clever marketing gimmick. Last year, WVTK held a 72-hour radio marathon, during which Zeman and Hobbes raised $12,000 for a new animal shelter in Addison County. Most of the donations, Zeman notes, came in $5 and $10 increments. When they hit the $12,000 goal, he says, “We had grown men crying in here.”

Read more about Hobbes at Seven Days. This guy deserves such a WOOF!!! And YES, you can listen to Bruce and Hobbes live weekdays on the net from 5:30 to 9 AM Eastern Time at WVTK.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Thanks to all the folks who sent in news about the Dachshund in the new Little Caesars "Fishing" commercial! Our pals 'Oscar' and 'Hans' were first with the news, but thanks also to our friends Sandy Firebird and Megan Marie Bolte.

Now....let's hear the loud and proud screams from Dachshund Lovers all over the world:

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Boy do we love it when race tracks release their official play by plays of their Wiener Races. Here, Canterbury Park, out of Shakopee, Minnesota deliver the Qualifying Races which took place last weekend. The top 2 wieners in each heat qualify for the Dachshund Dash Final on July 4th. If you live nearby, we're sure it's not to be missed. There will be free Hormel hot dogs and a hot dog eating contest after all.
By youtuber Canterbury Park.

Viral Dachshund Videos: this fun little video was uploaded to youtube last August and has garnered nearly a half million views. Now it's been picked up by the Associated Press and is appearing in newspapers all over the world! The AP version has no sound - this is the original by youtuber Jason K. Wheeler which was filmed on Pawley's Island, South Carolina, and features 'Madeline,' a 2-year-old rescue, and an unnamed ghost crab.

Monday, June 25, 2012

We've mentioned these fantastic pet oxygen masks before on The Long and Short of it All - they are not standard firefighting equipment and are usually donated by caring citizens or organizations to their local fire department. It may be worth a call to see if your local fire department is equipped with them. Another Dachshund has been saved with the use of one in Jupiter, Florida, on June 18th. Excerpt from WPEC:

With fire trucks in front of her house, and firefighters going in and out of her house, Sonia Tomas stood nearby clutching one of her 3 dogs. She says its a blessing all three survived.Sonia was not home at the time and neither was her nephew when the fire broke out in the kitchen of her home on Oak Terrace. One of Thomas' three dogs, a 6 month old dachshund, was found in a bathtub, motionless and not responding. Luckily firefighters were able revive the dog with a pet oxygen mask. They recently started carrying these on some of their trucks after a Jupiter resident donated them two months ago. This photo, taken by a firefighter with a cell phone camera, shows the dog being treated at the scene, wearing a doggy oxygen mask. Since getting the masks two months ago, Firefighters say this is one of the first times they've used the specially-designed pet oxygen masks to save a dogs life after being removed from a burning house.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Our hearts go out to human Barbara Techel and the family and friends of the busiest Dachshund we ever knew, Frankie The Walk'n Roll Dog. Frankie, therapy dog and subject of the Walk'n Roll Dog book series, passed away yesterday at home in her mother's arms after being diagnosed with chronic heart failure just last Friday. With the help of her mom, Frankie inspired thousands with her messages of overcoming challenges and making a difference despite obstacles. Although Frankie is no longer with us, we know that her messages of hope will live on for generations.

Thanks so much to the Dynamic Duo 'Duncan' and 'Cosmo' for writing in:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

Hey guys, our mom is a bit of a fashion nut, so when this Kate Spade photo showed up in her inbox this morning, she just had to forward it to you. There's more about this handsome guy on their blog too:

we can't resist a handsome guy in a suit-especially when he's of the furry variety. our latest crush, brady, stole hearts (and a few snacks) on the set of our summer web shoot. we asked his momager, suzy k., about his dapper doggy style and future modeling his mug.

who’s this handsome hound? brady kelsay.

what are his stats: age, breed, etc.?he's a long-haired dachshund, and he's eight-years-old.

is this his first turn in the spotlight? surprisingly yes, but he's been admired all his life.

sum up his style.low-key frizzy chic.

is he a backyard-digger or more of a city stutter?although he was born in the city, he has quickly become an avid chipmunk-chaser in the 'burbs.

does he do any special tricks?he says, "please, that's for amateur dogs, wouldn't you say?"

how does he like to pass his days?sleeping on his back waiting for his mom to come home and give him chicken treats.

will he be woofing it up on the big screen any time soon?maybe, but he's very selective.

From our Fashion Hounds Duncan and Cosmo (front): Anyway, we're going to get back to burrowing under the covers and doing more masculine dachshund things. Sheesh.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

A Long Dog Gets Along Doggedly, May 25, 1965, St. Petersburg Times, Florida.

People are not built right for skate boards, being too tall to balance properly. But Dachshunds fit perfectly - at least Cuddles does. Propulsion power for the rolling stock is furnished by the hind legs, located toward the rear of the operator. As a stomach protector on hot concrete, says Cuddles, skate boards can't be beat!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Our hearts go out to the friends and family of Dachshund Lover George Richards, 100, who passed away June 17, 2012, at Hospice of St. Mary's in Callaway, MD. You will remember George and his beloved Dachshund 'Hummel,' from this video we posted in November of 2009. The video went on to reach viral status, with nearly 140,000 views on Vimeo. George was 97 here. Via The Baynet.com:

George joined the United States Navy in 1944 and served aboard the DD794 USS Irwin in the Pacific. After being honorably discharged he was employed by the Department of Agriculture for 35 dedicated years. During this time, he spent two memorable years in India. In 1967 he moved to Bushwood, Maryland, where he spent ten years before moving to Sun City Center, FL. After spending nine years in Florida, George moved back to Leonardtown, MD, in 1986. George had many extracurricular activities, which included gardening, photography, driving an ambulance while residing in Florida, and volunteering as a first aide instructor for the American Red Cross. However, his passion was with his dachshunds. He loved working with and training his beloved dogs. He was a member of the Richmond Dog Obedience Club, where he won many awards; the Chesapeake Kennel Club, the St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary, Southern Maryland Barbershop Chorus, the Bowie Knights of Harmony, and St. Paul's Methodist Church.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

We love to feature stories of our favorite four-legged friends as they are seen in different cultures around the world. One thing we've noticed is that the society may be slightly different, but the Dachshunds, and their love for their humans, is the same everywhere.
Let's head to India today for this introduction to the "Dashound."

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Transformers star and husband of singer Fergie, Josh Duhamel, is on a campaign to raise awareness about pet adoption. He's blogging about it on Huffington Post, talking about it at People magazine, and even teaming up with Petsmart Charities as seen in the above video to get the word out. Mr. Duhamel talks open and candidly at People magazine about the love of his Dachshunds:

All it took was a little Meatloaf for Josh Duhamel to become a convert.
Six years ago, the actor and his wife Fergie were looking to provide a companion for their 1-year-old dachshund Zoe, so they searched online and found another dachshund through a rescue.
"Meatloaf was truly a beautiful dog," Duhamel tells PEOPLE of the aging dachshund he brought into his home. "He was the most lovable, appreciative, soulful little dude. He just turned out to be such a great pet, such a great friend, and ever since then I've been an advocate of rescuing."
True to his word, Duhamel has partnered with PetSmart Charities' High-Five for Pet Adoption campaign, which celebrates the five million pets that have been adopted at PetSmart Adoption Centers since 1994.
Still, many millions more need homes. "I wanted to make aware how much of a problem it is in this country," he says. "I can speak from experience: [adopting] was the smartest thing we've done when it comes to owning a pet."
Rescue hadn't been on Duhamel's radar when he brought home Zoe while working on the NBC drama Las Vegas – and a disappointed colleague took it upon herself to educate the actor.
"When she found out that we bought Zoe, she gave me an earful, and that's when I first heard about pet adoption," Duhamel says. "Ever since then, I tell anybody who's going to get a pet that that's the way to go, not just because it's the right thing to do but because they make incredible pets."
Meatloaf was one of them. "From the very beginning, Zoe was taken well care of," Duhamel says. "We call her the spoiled little Brentwood dog because she never knew any hardship, unlike Meatloaf, who totally appreciated everything. He was just so loving and he was always so consistent." In his advancing age, the dachshund became afflicted by a degenerative brain disease and died on April 1 in his sleep.
"We have his ashes in a box," Duhamel says. "We were going to bury it and put a little memorial out, but we decided we wanted to keep it on the mantle at home because – I dunno, we just couldn't bury him for some reason. We just wanted to keep him close."
The shelter dogs that Duhamel has met since working with PetSmart Charities have also reminded him of Meatloaf. "They all seem to have that same characteristic of gratitude," he says. "I can only imagine what it's like in some of these shelters. When they do get a loving home, they truly appreciate it."

Monday, June 11, 2012

Images of Some Available Dachshunds at Dachshund Idaho Rescue on Adopt a Pet

We're woofless. Our hearts go out to Karen McCombs, her husband Robert, and their son, Sean, 16, who hail from Fruitland, Idaho. Mrs. McCombs operates Dachshund Idaho Rescue out of her home there, and it was lost to fire on Saturday afternoon, along with 14 Dachshunds. She got her 1st dachshund in 1967 and showed them for over a decade, with some champions achieved. This rescue has going strong since 2003, placing over 100 Dachshunds and dachsie mixes. Excerpt from The Idaho Statesman:

A Fruitland couple and their son lost just about everything they owned Saturday afternoon, after a fire tore through a single-wide trailer they were renting.

The family were all home at the time of the blaze, but they say they weren't able to act fast enough to save many of the dogs.

"I was asleep. I have bronchitis," McCombs said. She said her son was in the living room, and her husband was in the kitchen. She said the fire started out on the front porch."It was just like out of nowhere," McCombs said. "It just burned so fast that we could not get it under control."McCombs said she was able to save four dogs — three dachshunds and an Akita.The American Red Cross responded to the scene and provided vouchers for three nights at a motel in Ontario, Ore.McCombs said she and her husband, both in their mid-60s and on Social Security, would welcome any help. They are staying at the Oregon Inn in Ontario, Room #4. Reach them at 208-695-4761.McCombs provided their clothing sizes: boys large shirts, 34 x 30 pants, size 11 or 12 men's shoes; size 14 women's clothes and XL men's shirts and 38 x 30 pants.

Please visit the rescue's facebook page where you can find contact information, as well as an address for donations, which will be posted soon.

Nine-year-old Ashley Evans coaxes her petty red smooth 'Tilly' across the jump during the Dachshund Dash at Southcombe Park in Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia. The event was part of Port Fairy’s Winter Weekends, which invites people to come out from in front of their heaters and fires to partake in weekend activities. Via the Warrnambool Standard.

Thanks to our friend 'Pavel' for letting us know that he's back with all new audio for his original video Counting With Sausage. This time however, he's counting to ten in GERMAN! Either way, we can't stop smiling.
By youtuber nataliecrowdis who notes: What better way to learn German than with a sausage dog.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Heaven only knows how we ended up on Oprah.com, but we found what we thought to be a hilarious, well-written article by Writer and Teacher Melissa Pritchard, who shares her life, heart, and pillow with a smooth black and tan prince named 'Simon.' Here it is in its entirety:

My Dachshund, My Dear

Six years ago, my younger daughter and I brought home a 6-week-old dachshund. Still unnamed, he fit inside the palm of my hand, an enlarged comma, a velvety-soft punctuation mark. Today, middle-aged, fighting portliness and a fondness for rich foods and lassitude (not unlike his mistress), Simon weighs the same as an average human newborn, about eight pounds. He has a small rime of silver beard under his chin, and sometimes he limps after playing hard, a foreshadowing of the one inevitability I cannot bear to think about.

Because of their tubular shape, dachshunds are prone to severe spinal injuries. A dachshund owner is cautioned never to let her pet jump off high places or use stairs. So Simon, after a mild injury to his spine when he was a puppy, now has a carpeted, custom ramp to run up and down alongside my bed. I have endured a fair number of jokes about this ramp, and that is all I will say on the subject.

One day I came into my bedroom and found him lying under the covers, on his back, head on my pillow, front paws tucked neatly over the edge of the folded sheet. He looked at me, following me with his gaze as I moved through the room. It was unsettling. I walked over and looked down at him. "Who are you?" I asked. "My husband?" Wisely, he did not answer.

Following that unanswered question, I conceived of writing an arch, clever tale of a dachshund who, like Kafka's cockroach, but in a reversed, more gradual process, turns into a woman's fourth husband.

I began the story but abandoned it when I awoke one morning to find Simon lying straight alongside me, his head perfectly aligned with mine. When I turned to look at him, he stretched out his neck to give me a peck, which smelled of gaseous fermented kibble. It was as if my tale had come true, and my common-law spouse was unemployed, eons younger than me, and of Germanic extraction. He was not a tall, dark, handsome prince under a spell but Simon, loaf-shaped, stubby-legged, beef-breathed, and neutered.

Simon is not some Kafkaesque husband, but he is a merry sidekick, a boon companion, a confederate in pleasures both simple and subtle, the finer, altogether nobler, half of me.

Humans can't wait to get their hands on the latest television technology, and now it appears that dogs like it too, at least as far as High Definition Television is concerned. Discover magazine has an Inner Life of Dogs article in their July/August issue and mention dogs and HDTV:

Most dogs show little interest in the average television set because of their visual abilities. In its simplest form, a motion seen on the TV screen is just a changing pattern of flight across the retina in our eye. The average person cannot see any flickering above 55 cycles per second (55Hz). But beagles see flicker rates up to 75 Hz - about 50 percent faster than human rates - suggesting dogs perceive motion better than people do. Television images flicker at about 60 Hz. Since that is above a human's flicker resolution ability of 55 Hz, the image appears continuous to us and blends smoothly together. Since dogs can resolve flickers at 75 Hz, images on a TV screen probably appear less real and less worthy of attention. However, since high-resolution digital screens are refreshed at a much higher rate, reports are increasingly surfacing of pooches who become very interested in newer technology HDTVs when a nature show contains images of animals moving.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

I find the living room unbearable
and seek the empty solace of the places
where she never came.
There are no memories upstairs
of soul-deep eyes and gaily dancing feet;
of flying ears and that funny backward dance
she did each night
waiting for her food.

In time, the tearing void will be replaced
by quiet emptiness
and I shall see in my mind's eye
only gentle memories of the Rappy years.
I shall not constantly recall the sudden illness
crashing through our night, the glazed, unseeing
eyes, the final breath.
I shall not always see her, semi-conscious
on the front car seat
or feel her still warm body
close against my own.

There will be instead the way she sat
like some large bosomed dowager
upon the station wagon seat, eyes half closed
in ecstasy, loving every minute of the ride,
Rappy, wanting always to be near, leaving
anything behind just to come along.
Rappy, with her stubborn streak, her independent ways,
her merry heart, pleading with her eyes for only one
more morsel, only one more walk, only one more lick
planted on my nose
to prove how much she cared.

There is a Dachshund with eyes not really almond shaped
filed away forever now in some special niche the heart
reserves
for precious things we've known and lost.
She had a constant love affair with life and
treated everyone as though they were her friend
but spent herself reassuring me in countless ways
not to be concerned
because
she love me best.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Is there anything better than an afternoon nap? In the June, 2012 issue of House Beautiful magazine, they ask designers to send them a photo of their favorite napping spot. Here's what interior designer David Scott had to say:

This cozy chaise is my favorite spot to curl up with my dachsies, Ethan and Josie. In warm weather, it catches the breeze from the adjacent screened porch.

We're really impressed with the good nature of our Dachshund friends who withstood the horrible rain, all in the name of art, to take part in the Dachshund United Nations performance in Sydney, Australia over the weekend. Photo source.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

As the Diamond Jubilee celebration honoring Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne comes to an end, revellers from all over the world have been flying the flag for Her Majesty. Above, Twiglet the Dachshund wears a tiara in Geneva, Switzerland. Source.

THEY SAW MISS SHEILA WILLCOX ON
"HIGH AND MIGHTY" ESTABLISH A LEAD OVER ALL OTHER COMPETITORS.ABOVE, THE
QUEEN WATCHES THE TRIALS AT BADMINTON WHILE CARRYING ONE OF HER PET DACHSHUNDS.

Do you love the Royals, despise the Royals, or are you just indifferent? It's pretty clear where one of our favorite British popstars, Morrissey, stands on the subject. He wrote these words a few days ago:

The soul is tried all over again as the jackboot of dictatorship strangles England. This week, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee presents a new lesson in the force of tyranny, and is an expression of loathing and abhorrence of the British poor - and all done, quite naturally, at the public's expense! It is degrading to anyone of intelligence. While dictatorships throughout the Middle East are gently condemned by the British government, there is no examination of the extremism enforced by the British 'royals', who remain the most overpaid and most utterly useless people on the planet. Having done nothing to earn our respect, they demand everything by return. It is a cunning and extravagant form of benefit fraud.

After a brief stint in the UK, Dachshund UN, Australian artist Bennett Miller's traveling art
installation, has returned to Australia, appearing in Sydney over the weekend. Excerpt from MSN:

It was puppy power en masse when the Dachshund United Nations met in Sydney yesterday. The sausage dog diplomacy took place in a wood-panel amphitheater created by artist Bennett Miller to resemble the UN's New York auditorium. Instead of dozing humans, there were dozens of dachshunds having their say on important matters, while their owners looked on approvingly. Many of the serious players sported doggie jackets on account of the bad weather, but courageously pushed on with their vital work regardless. We're happy to say there were no reported "motions" left on the seats after the assembly wrapped up for the day.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Oh, yes. Liv Ullmann is a Norwegian actress and film director, as well as one of the "muses" of the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. Nominated five times for a Best Actress Golden Globe, winning once for The Emigrants, Ullmann has also been nominated for the Palme d'Or, two times for the Academy Award, and two times for a BAFTA Film Award. She is the inspiration for Steven Tyler's daughter's Liv's name, and oh yeah, she's a Dachshund Lover. She recently talked with the Boston Globe about her pretty rescue Dachshund 'Chelsea':

Q: Have you always had pets?

A: Yes. Growing up, I had one fox terrier and one golden retriever.

Q: When and where did you adopt your dog?

A: We adopted her 2 years ago and we’re a little unsure of her age but we decided on 7. Sometimes I wish I was an animal because I've never ever seen such care of an animal in the world [by the MSPCA].

Q: What made you choose her?

A: [The MSPCA] knew that we had lost our dachshund some years ago and my husband [Boston developer Donald Saunders] didn’t want a new one but while I was away in Norway they did phone and said they had this incredible little dachshund and he should at least come and look at her.

Q: What happened to her before she came to live with you?

A: She had been with someone for five years and they just left a letter that she was born at a flea market. She was sick, of course. Her left leg was completely crooked. But then at (Angell Animal Medical Center), they did an operation on her... Now she has a perfect leg.

Q: What are three traits you love about Chelsea?

A: She loves to sit on the lap. She is so sweet. She is very people oriented.

Q: Why did you name her Chelsea?

A: She was called Chelsea to the people who delivered her. We didn't want to change that.

All Texas Dachshund Rescue is a group of dedicated volunteers whose primary goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home neglected, abandoned, disabled and otherwise endangered Dachshunds throughout the state of Texas.

Favorite Love Stories From The Archives

The Long and Short of Dachshunds in Popular Culture

FALL AND WINTER FASHION FOR DACHSHUNDISTS

Put a Dachshund in your lap, turn up the volume, and select the full screen button at bottom right corner of video to view full size.

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(Your hosts, Bette and Rowdy)

Do you know a special dachshund? Wait..., they're all special! Submit a dachshund news story and tell us all about it. We're always looking for fun dachshund news, stories, art, history, trivia, or articles. The only requirement really is a nice photo, video, or image to go along with it. Send it on to your hosts, Bette and Rowdy. Or just drop a line to say 'Woof!' We apologize that we can't always get back to everyone for every wonderful piece submitted.